Mark Vol. 3 - Week 9 (14:1-11)
Mark 14:1-11
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Mark 14:1-11
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Mark 14:1-11 〰️ Mark 14:1-11 〰️
Mark's account of the approach of Passover week begins with this week's passage, 14:1-11. Passover (also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread) was the festival where the Jewish people would remember and celebrate God's faithfulness as He brought them out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:11-20). As they were called out of Egypt, God instructed His people to "eat it in a hurry" (Ex. 12:11), not waiting for the yeast to cause the bread to rise (hence, unleavened bread). During this festival, all Jewish people would travel to Jerusalem and sacrifice their best animal offerings to the Lord. Because of the large influx of Jewish people, the scribes and chief priests were hesitant to arrest Jesus because they feared a revolt from the crowd of people who could potentially follow or sympathize with Jesus. But Judas, a follower of Jesus, would approach them and give the religious leaders an opportunity they couldn't pass up.
At this time, Jesus was "at the house of Simon the leper" (v3) with His disciples, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha (John 12:1-8). When we read John's gospel account, we know that it's Mary who took the expensive perfume (estimated to be about 10 months of wages) and anointed Jesus' feet with it. In both accounts, the disciples protested this "waste" of expensive perfume that could have been given to the poor (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:4-5; John 12:4-5). John's account informs us that it was Judas who protested. By the structure and narration of Matthew, Mark, and John, it seems that this was the straw that broke the camel's back and ultimately drove Judas to betray Jesus ("Then one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests..." Matt. 26:14; Mark 14:10), although we don't know this with certainty.
Although important, the significance of this passage is not necessarily the timeline or events surrounding Jesus' betrayal but the heart of worship we see from Mary. Culturally, we can get so fixated on "checking the box" of generosity and forget that what God desires more than our time, money, or resources is our hearts. Here, the woman literally poured out almost an entire year's worth of money on Jesus because she believed Him to be worthy. The disciples were so fixated on the task of ministry that they forgot to love Jesus first. As leaders in the church community, we can be especially prone to this, reading Scripture to produce or giving time or resources because it's right (which isn't a bad thing in and of itself),rather than from an outpouring of our love for Jesus. Jesus quoted the well-known prophet Isaiah on this very disconnect:
"The Lord said:
These people approach me with their speeches
to honor me with lip-service,
yet their hearts are far from me,
and human rules direct their worship of me." (Isaiah 29:13).
It can be so easy for us to fall into the rhythm of obedience to God's Word that we forget the heart God truly desires. Our worship of God and His commands should direct our lives rather than our human rules directing our worship of God.
As we jump into discussion together, we'll have some questions that again touch on the topic of generosity and finances. There are quite a few portions of the gospels that touch on this subject because the Lord knows what can pull our hearts away from Him. We're not unique in that our generation seeks comfort and stability in money. Jesus corrected the disciples' misunderstanding finances and to whom it truly belongs. Our default is often to live as if 90% is ours and 10% is the Lord's, but God desires that we view 100% of our resources as His, lovingly given to us to steward.
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
Why were the disciples really upset that the woman "wasted" the perfume?
Reread v6-7. What do you think Jesus meant in saying this? What does this mean for us today?
What was the significance of Jesus being anointed with the expensive perfume? What did this reveal about the hearts of some of the disciples and the woman?
Is there a value in honoring Jesus publically? What's the danger that can come up in our hearts?
How do we balance responsibly stewarding what God has given us with generosity? Do you ever use responsible stewardship as an excuse to avoid generosity?